Marijuana Vaporizer Provides Same Level Of THC, Fewer Toxins, Study Shows

[The Girl From Ipanema]

Science Daily — A smokeless cannabis-vaporizing device delivers the same level of active therapeutic chemical and produces the same biological effect as smoking cannabis, but without the harmful toxins, according to University of California San Francisco researchers.

Results of a UCSF study, which focuses on delivery of the active ingredient delta-9-tertrahydrocannibinol, or THC, are reported in the online issue of the journal "Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics."

"We showed in a recent paper in the journal 'Neurology' that smoked cannabis can alleviate the chronic pain caused by HIV-related neuropathy, but a concern was expressed that smoking cannabis was not safe. This study demonstrates an alternative method that gives patients the same effects and allows controlled dosing but without inhalation of the toxic products in smoke," said study lead author Donald I. Abrams, MD, UCSF professor of clinical medicine.

The research team looked at the effectiveness of a device that heats cannabis to a temperature between 180 and 200 degrees C, just short of combustion, which occurs at 230 degrees C. Eighteen individuals were enrolled as inpatients for six days under supervision in the General Clinical Research Center at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.

Under the study protocol, the participants received on different days three different strengths of cannabis by two delivery methods--smoking or vaporization--three times a day.

Plasma concentrations of THC were measured along with the exhaled levels of carbon monoxide, or CO. A toxic gas, CO served as a marker for the many other combustion-generated toxins inhaled when smoking. The plasma concentrations of THC were comparable at all strengths of cannabis between smoking and vaporization. Smoking increased CO levels as expected, but there was little or no increase in CO levels after inhaling from the vaporizer, according to Abrams.

"Using CO as an indicator, there was virtually no exposure to harmful combustion products using the vaporizing device. Since it replicates smoking's efficiency at producing the desired THC effect using smaller amounts of the active ingredient as opposed to pill forms, this device has great potential for improving the therapeutic utility of THC," said study co-author Neal L. Benowitz, MD, UCSF professor of medicine, psychiatry and biopharmaceutical sciences. He added that pills tend to provide patients with more THC than they need for optimal therapeutic effect and increase side effects.

Patients rated the "high" they experienced from both smoking and vaporization and there was no difference between the two methods by patient self-report of the effect, according to study findings. In addition, patients were asked which method they preferred.

"By a significant majority, patients preferred vaporization to smoking, choosing the route of delivery with the fewest side effects and greatest efficiency," said Benowitz.

Co-authors include Cheryl A. Jay, MD, UCSF neurology; and Starley B. Shade, MPH; Hector Vizoso, RN; and Mary Ellen Kelly, MPH, UCSF Positive Health Program at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.

The study was funded by the University of California's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of California - San Francisco.

[Cat]

Cool, now all we need is a Heroin, Crack, Coke, Meth Amphetamine Vaporizer too for all those who use drugs to alleviate their.........umm.....pain?

[The Girl From Ipanema]

Originally Posted by ΩcatΩ

Cool, now all we need is a Heroin, Crack, Coke, Meth Amphetamine Vaporizer too for all those who use drugs to alleviate their.........umm.....pain?

exactly

[Red Venus Moon]

Takes a random part of a sentence and gives this post a whole new meaning!

Patients preferred vaporization

Honestly, I am in support of medical cannibas and if they found a even safer way to give it to a patient, then that would be cool. Looks like they could do the same thing for ciggerettes to help people break the habit of smoking

[The Girl From Ipanema]

I think if they can find a safe way to use it then lets do it....but as soon as that "Safe" way is found to no longer be safe (after long term research is carried out) then they will just take it off the market like they do with everything else.

I think there's potential for it to happen and that eventually it probably could be legal, but I can see it becoming illegal again some time down the road. I can see complications arising out of it.

[Ğǿđfâŧħέř]

hmmm... this can be profitable

[Nεмεмıѕтяεѕѕ]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I'm not. There is already an "alternate" marijuana out there for pain relief and such. It's in pill form, perscribed by the doctors, although not as strong as if you smoked a joint. But it has the same "medicinal" effects. I don't see the point in wasting more time and money on researching weed. Just fire up the damn bong ffs.

BCWD

[ItsFrank]

I made a vaporizer, and it looked more like a crack smoking device.

It consisted of a glass light bulb, a soda cap, a straw, and some tape.

It worked wonders. WONDERS, I tell you.

[The Girl From Ipanema]

Originally Posted by ItsFrank

I made a vaporizer, and it looked more like a crack smoking device.

It consisted of a glass light bulb, a soda cap, a straw, and some tape.

It worked wonders. WONDERS, I tell you.

that reminds me of the hinder video "Better than me"

whats with the light bulb and drugs thing that people have going on....I know I'm going to receive criticism for asking this one

*waits for Marie to harass me*

I don't have a clandestine lab so I don't know what light bulbs are used for when it comes to doing drugs

[ItsFrank]

Originally Posted by The Girl From Ipanema

that reminds me of the hinder video "Better than me"

whats with the light bulb and drugs thing that people have going on....I know I'm going to receive criticism for asking this one

*waits for Marie to harass me*

I don't have a clandestine lab so I don't know what light bulbs are used for when it comes to doing drugs

It's just a glass part you can heat up with the drugs inside it.

WAIT.

Marijuana is not a drug. It's an unrefined plant.

So I'll call it 'substance'.